Written Answers Monday 19 December 2005

Scottish Executive

Care Commission

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations are placed on the Care Commission to communicate with, and report incidents to, public bodies, such as the NHS and local authorities, which involve patients or clients whose health and social care services have been contracted to the private sector.

Lewis Macdonald: The Care Commission is responsible for regulating care services under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 (the act). The act places a number of statutory duties on the Care Commission to communicate with local authorities and health boards in relation to services in their area. These duties apply regardless of whether or not the service is being provided by the private sector under contract to a public body.

  Where the Care Commission serves an improvement notice on a care service that is not provided by a local authority, the act requires the Care Commission to send a copy of that notice to the local authority in whose area the service is provided. Where the Care Commission makes an application to court for urgent cancellation of a care service provider’s registration or variation or removal of a condition on the provider’s registration, the Care Commission must as soon as practicable notify each local authority and health board within whose area the care service is provided and any other statutory authority whom it thinks appropriate to notify.

  The Care Commission is also required under the act to establish a procedure for investigating complaints against care services. The commission has drawn up a "fast track" procedure for notifying health boards and/or local authorities, where the Care Commission considers that they have a direct interest in a complaint.

  In addition to these legal obligations the commission has Memorandums of Understanding with a number of public bodies (including some local authorities and health boards), to facilitate the exchange of information about matters related to its regulatory activities (for example, complaints, inspection/monitoring programmes and reports).

Care of Elderly People

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers QUALYS to be a suitable measure of cost effectiveness of clinical drugs for elderly people.

Lewis Macdonald: Quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) is an internationally accepted way of measuring the physical and mental health benefits of a new drug or treatment. This provides a basis for the NHS to make decisions about the cost-effectiveness of health services. The use of QALYs is important to the decision-making of bodies such as NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

  While QALYs have an important role to play in decision-making, they should not be the sole criterion in determining whether a service or treatment is available or not. The QALY measures changes in physical and mental health. In the care of older people wider considerations, such as the preservation of dignity and autonomy and impact on carers are also important.

Care of Elderly People

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide figures in respect of people awaiting discharge from hospital to residential or care homes, broken down by NHS board area on 1 December (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005.

Lewis Macdonald: The total number of patients who are awaiting discharge from hospital to a care home for each NHS board area is shown in the table for the October 2003, October 2004 and October 2005 censuses.

  

NHS Board Area of Treatment
Census


October 2003
October 2004
October 2005


Scotland
1,078
927
756


Argyll and Clyde
168
108
76


Ayrshire and Arran
94
63
69


Borders
27
14
20


Dumfries and Galloway
1
2
3


Fife
91
94
56


Forth Valley
63
50
57


Grampian
114
139
126


Greater Glasgow
108
89
78


Highland
42
43
56


Lanarkshire
57
38
38


Lothian
208
193
100


Orkney
1
1
7


Shetland
0
0
0


Tayside
97
74
51


Western Isles
7
19
19

Care of Elderly People

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has concerns in respect of the provision of frozen meals on wheels and what monitoring it carries out of the effect of such meals on the well-being of elderly people.

Lewis Macdonald: The assessment of an individual’s care needs is a matter for each local authority. The Scottish Executive has issued guidance to authorities and the NHS on single shared assessment and care management. An authority’s decision to provide meals on wheels, whether frozen or not, can be based on its assessment of the individual’s care needs, and the meals will be provided as part of a package of care drawn up in the light of that assessment. The individual’s care plan, and the monitoring arrangements for managing that care, should provide the appropriate support according to the individual’s needs. Meals can also be accessed as a single service without assessment if the person does not require a package of care. The monitoring of services is a matter for each local authority.

Care of Elderly People

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20631 by Lewis Macdonald on 21 November 2005, why information in respect of the number of people who have entered into a deferred payment agreement in order to avoid selling their home to meet care home fees is not available after 30 June 2004.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive last surveyed local authorities for this information in June 2004. In the light of that survey the Executive issued in December 2004 strengthened guidance to local authorities on deferred payments and other similar funding arrangements. Circular CCD 13/2004 informed local authorities that the Executive would continue to monitor the uptake of deferred payment agreements and would consider, if necessary, additional statutory provisions to require local authorities to promote deferred payment agreements. A follow-up survey is planned for summer 2006 .

Central Heating

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the length of time which applicants have to wait for their central heating system to be installed under the central heating programme; whether it has established any targets in this respect and, if so, what these targets are.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Eaga is the managing agent contracted to deliver the central heating programme on behalf of the Scottish Executive. Monthly progress meetings are held between Eaga and Communities Scotland to consider performance in terms of progressing applications through to installation of heating systems. Specific targets are set for Eaga in respect of individual elements of the application process. However, no maximum waiting target has been set as there are many factors outwith Eaga’s control which have a bearing on the installation timetable. These factors include: upgrades of local electricity and gas infrastructure; planning permission; building warrants, and access delays.

Civil Service

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies, excluding those in the Crofters Commission, have arisen in its departments, agencies and non departmental public bodies in Inverness in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05, broken down by (i) department agency or non-departmental public body and (ii) grade and whether it will provide details of any agreement permitting civil servants to fill such vacancies in non-department public bodies without other candidates being considered.

Mr Tom McCabe: In 2003-04 there were nine vacancies within the Scottish Executive in Inverness as follows:

  
Band A1 – two; Band A2 – one; Band A3 – two; Band B1 – three; Band B2 – one.


  In 2004-05 there have been six vacancies within the Scottish executive in Inverness so far, as follows:

  
Band A1 – two; Band A2 – one; Band A3 – one; Band B2 – one; Band C1 – one.


  The Scottish Executive has signed up to a Civil Service-wide protocol aimed at avoiding redundancies resulting from surpluses across departments. The protocol requires departments to consider surplus staff from other departments before advertising any posts externally.

  While the Scottish Executive will work closely with other government departments to meet our commitments to the protocol, it would be for the importing body to determine whether they are prepared to consider surplus Scottish Executive staff and the Scottish Executive cannot require other government departments to absorb any staff we have who may be surplus.

Civil Service

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that employees of the Crofters Commission can be required to surrender their civil service status; whether any reservations or doubts have been expressed in the legal or other advice received on this issue and, if so, whether it will provide details of such reservations or doubts.

Mr Tom McCabe: Legislation is underway to change the status of the Crofters Commission. Once this legislation is introduced, staff of the Crofters Commission will be given the choice to transfer to the new non-departmental public body, or to retain their status as civil servants. Those staff based at the commission who do not accept an appointment with the new body will remain Scottish Executive staff and we will endeavour to find posts for them elsewhere within the Scottish Executive or in other parts of the civil service.

  The issue of staff being required to surrender their status as civil servants does not arise.

Civil Service

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it may be exposed to legal action, particularly under employment law or the European Convention on Human Rights, if any employee of the Crofters Commission is required to surrender civil service status.

Mr Tom McCabe: Legislation is underway to change the status of the Crofters Commission. Once this legislation is introduced, staff of the Crofters Commission will be given the choice to transfer to the new non-departmental public body, or to retain their status as civil servants. Those staff based at the commission who do not accept an appointment with the new body will remain Scottish Executive staff and we will endeavour to find posts for them elsewhere within the Scottish Executive or in other parts of the civil service. We therefore do not foresee any member of staff currently employed by the Crofters Commission being required to surrender their civil service status.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many home help clients there were in each local authority area in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Lewis Macdonald: The number of home care clients that received a service in the last week of March each year, by local authority area, for each of the last five years is in the following table:

  

Local Authority
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005


Aberdeen City
3,001
2,779
2,514
2,904
2,862


Aberdeenshire
1,828
1,867
1,874
1,939
2,107


Angus
1,804
1,740
1,778
1,810
1,839


Argyll and Bute
927
957
965
1,060
1,078


Clackmannanshire
656
648
680
700
814


Dumfries and Galloway
2,015
1,755
2,048
2,050
2,047


Dundee City
2,445
2,166
1,886
1,870
2,115


East Ayrshire
1,311
1,361
1,444
1,706
1,750


East Dunbartonshire
986
1,013
1,029
1,172
1,128


East Lothian
1,195
1,267
1,128
1,423
1,553


East Renfrewshire
765
939
884
965
1,050


Edinburgh, City of
5,969
5,958
6,084
5,963
5,672


Eilean Siar 
779
768
765
765
744


Falkirk
2,281
2,098
2,010
2,006
2,169


Fife
5,858
5,629
6,082
6,875
7,294


Glasgow City
8,802
8,789
9,040
9,102
9,223


Highland
2,748
2,670
3,055
2,957
2,764


Inverclyde
1,146
1,255
1,104
1,137
1,298


Midlothian
1,256
1,113
1,084
1,201
1,168


Moray
1,063
1,119
1,205
1,360
1,430


North Ayrshire
1,490
1,301
1,491
1,692
1,503


North Lanarkshire
2,895
3,408
4,370
4,394
4,371


Orkney Islands
442
516
428
511
505


Perth and Kinross
1,477
1,532
1,618
1,559
1,187


Renfrewshire
2,542
2,098
2,169
1,814
1,947


Scottish Borders
1,491
1,553
1,686
1,724
1,604


Shetland Islands
722
553
545
529
555


South Ayrshire
1,203
1,298
1,471
1,723
1,735


South Lanarkshire
2,445
2,326
2,568
2,709
3,158


Stirling
881
1,015
848
982
944


West Dunbartonshire
1,558
1,647
1,834
2,065
2,108


West Lothian
1,552
1,408
1,579
1,319
1,372


Scotland
65,533
64,546
67,266
69,986
71,094



  These figures are taken from the H1 Home Care Survey, carried out by the Scottish Executive Health Department, Analytical Services Division each year.

Dentistry

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20889 by Lewis MacDonald on 6 December 2005, which NHS boards are carrying out the pilot schemes to offer free NHS oral health checks to all those over the age of 60.

Lewis Macdonald: The first phase of the Oral Health Assessment pilot was with nine salaried dentists from Forth Valley, Ayrshire and Arran, Highland, Fife, Greater Glasgow, Argyll and Clyde and Highland and took place within the Postgraduate Centre in Glasgow.

  The second phase was with the same dentists plus 10 high street general dental practitioners from Greater Glasgow and took place in the dentists’ workplace.

Elderly People

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding research into the health benefits to older people of volunteering taking into account (a) their own well-being and happiness, (b) the life of their communities and (c) reducing the demands on health and social services.

Lewis Macdonald: The National Framework for Service Change report Building a Health Service Fit for the Future (Bib. number 36608) makes it clear that volunteers make a valuable contribution to health care, and that the health and psychological benefits to volunteers themselves are becoming ever more apparent.

  It therefore recommends that each NHS board develops proposals to enhance volunteering. How that is delivered is for health boards and other community partners to agree through the use of Community Planning Partnerships and joint health improvement planning.

Emergency Services

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what training paramedics are given in administering thrombolysis.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of ambulance service divisions are using thrombolysis.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when thrombolysis became available for use by paramedics.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether training was offered to paramedics on the introduction of thrombolysis for use in ambulances.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Ambulance Service began trialling the use of paramedic administered thrombolysis in 2000 in Tayside. Following the success of this trial, the practice was rolled out across Scotland and is now used in each of the six divisions of the ambulance service.

  All established state registered paramedics have undertaken a cardiac care study course which includes training in the administration of thrombolytics and culminates in written and practical assessments. Thrombolysis training is now routinely taught on the residential paramedic training course and new paramedics are provided with training in and familiarisation with the associated 12-lead electro-cardiogram equipment during their in-hospital attachment to a coronary care unit. The professional training can be supplemented by self access computer aided learning programmes and local mentoring.

Emergency Services

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring takes place in respect of the training of paramedics in the administration of morphine.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how often training is undertaken by paramedics in the administration of morphine.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics are trained in the administration of prescription only medicines, including morphine, as part of the paramedic training course. Monitoring of the use of morphine is carried out monthly by local and external clinical audits and is reported to senior management and the board of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Emergency Services

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what flexibility is given to ambulance service management to respond to calls other than emergency calls.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Ambulance Service’s accident and emergency service responds to 999 calls, doctors’ urgent requests (where patients require urgent transport to hospital following a visit from a doctor) and to requests for hospital transfers. 999 calls are prioritised to ensure that life threatening calls are responded to first. The timescales placed on the doctors’ urgent requests and hospital transfers are agreed between the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre and the patient’s clinician.

  The Scottish Ambulance Service also provides a patient transport service for those patients with a clinical need who require transport to health services such as out-patient clinics or day centres. The patient’s doctor will request this transport in the first instance. The ambulance service is looking to improve its patient transport service in particular for those who have the greatest clinical need, for example, cancer or renal patients.

Emergency Services

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to rapid response units in respect of response times to emergency calls.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the dispatch of rapid response teams is co-ordinated with the availability of ambulances in the local area.

Mr Andy Kerr: A rapid response unit (RRU) is one type of resource that could be used by the Scottish Ambulance Service to respond to a 999 life-threatening call. The deployment of RRUs and accident and emergency (A&E) ambulance units is co-ordinated and managed by the three emergency medical dispatch centres that cover Scotland.

  An RRU, manned by a paramedic, will be dispatched to a 999 life-threatening call where it is assessed that the nearest available double crewed A&E ambulance is unlikely to reach the patient within eight minutes. The double crewed ambulance will back up the RRU. The number and location of RRUs across Scotland has been determined by analysing the ambulance service’s management data which predicts where and when these types of calls are most likely to be received. This allows the ambulance service to deploy all of its resources – RRUs and A&E ambulances – appropriately to ensure that those patients with the greatest need receive treatment quickly.

  RRUs are manned by emergency frontline staff who are all aware of the ambulance service’s target of reaching 75% of Category A (life-threatening) calls within eight minutes by March 2008. The RRU and A&E ambulance should respond to calls as quickly as possible, but with due care and diligence to Road Traffic Act regulations and other road users including pedestrians.

Emergency Services

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of paramedics in (a) Scotland and (b) the South West Division have received training in administering thrombolysis.

Mr Andy Kerr: All state registered paramedics working within the Scottish Ambulance Service have undertaken a cardiac care study course which includes training in the administration of thrombolytic drugs and culminates in written and practical assessments. Thrombolysis training is now routinely taught on the residential paramedic training course which includes an in-hospital attachment to a coronary care unit.

Employment

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been in contact with the Ministry of Defence to seek details of the premises for sale at RAF Saxa Vord to assess whether they meet the criteria of its job dispersal strategy, particularly in respect of its Environment and Rural Affairs Department.

Allan Wilson: I have written to the Minister of State for the Armed Services asking that the Ministry of Defence considers taking whatever action is necessary to ensure that the impact to the Unst economy is alleviated as much as possible.

  Shetland Islands Council and Shetland Enterprise are undertaking a number of measures to ensure the long-term regeneration of the island, one of which is the utilisation of the station’s assets. I am aware that the council have been in discussion with Defence Estates regarding disposal of these assets. These discussions are on-going.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20821 by Tavish Scott on 1 December 2005, what exact contractual conditions it would apply, or other measures it would use, to make a Users' Charter binding on any potential ferry operator.

Tavish Scott: As I explained in my answer to question S2W-20821, were the Executive to enter into an agreement with a ferry operator to introduce a Users’ Charter on a particular route, the detailed legal issues would be considered at that time. As the Executive has no plans to introduce a Users’ Charter on any of the routes currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, it would be premature to comment on what contractual conditions it would apply, or other measures it would use, to make a Users’ Charter binding on an operator.

Ferry Services

Mr Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any discussions took place with Superfast Ferries about its announcement of a 50% curtailment of the timetable for the Rosyth to Zeebrugge service, in light of the freight facilities grant for the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry terminal.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise and other interested parties worked with the company to assess all possible options for maintaining a two vessel service on the route and this involved a number of meetings with Superfast. While some financial support was provided to assist with the start up of the service in 2002, the level of service offered is a commercial matter for Superfast. Superfast has taken the commercial decision to reduce the frequency of sailings for the year ahead as being the most sustainable way forward for the future of its service.

  Even with the reduced service, the project should still deliver significantly more environmental benefits than the £11 million Freight Facilities Grant funding provided to Forth Ports plc for the ferry terminal infrastructure at Rosyth.

  We wish to ensure that direct ferry services between mainland Scotland and mainland Europe are maintained and will be exploring all possible options to secure this. We hope that, over time, it will prove possible to restore the level of service that has been offered to date on the Rosyth - Zeebrugge route.

Fertility Treatment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the waiting times are for IVF treatment on the NHS in each NHS board area.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is contained in our recent infertility consultation document, which can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/09/infertility-consultation/current-service .

Forestry

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will protect ancient woodlands during the planning process.

Johann Lamont: National Planning Policy Guideline 14: Natural Heritage notes that planning authorities should seek to protect trees, groups of trees and areas of woodland where they have natural heritage value or contribute to the character or amenity of a particular locality. It recognises that ancient and semi-natural woodlands have the greatest value for nature conservation.

  The Executive is committed to introducing secondary legislation in order to make the Forestry Commission a statutory consultee where development involves the felling of an area of trees covering more than 0.25 ha. This would apply to all woodlands including ancient woodlands.

Forestry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is able to provide grant funding to new businesses in the timber and timber processing sectors and, if so, what limits apply to such funding.

Rhona Brankin: New businesses in the timber and timber processing sectors can access generic business development support. The provision of advice and support for business start-ups and growing businesses is primarily an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise working with local partner organisations. Access to the range of local and national measures available to support new and growing businesses in the Scottish Enterprise area is available through Business Gateway and in the Highlands and Islands area, access to business support is through Highlands and Islands Enterprise's network of 10 local enterprise companies located throughout the area who are the first stop for information and advice.

  In addition, the Farm Business Development Scheme (FBDS) and Agricultural Business Development Scheme (ABDS) are designed to assist Scottish farmers with the restructuring or re-orientation of agricultural production by exploitation of new business opportunities. This could include timber processing. Projects involving diversification outwith agricultural activities may attract a grant of 50% or £30,000 (FBDS) and £40,000 (ABDS), whichever is the lesser.

  Forestry Commission Scotland contributes to local initiatives to support timber and wood use. For example, Forestry Commission Scotland is a partner in the Highland Woodfuel Development Programme, which provides support for wood-fuel developments. There are also a number of financial support mechanisms for biomass plant and bio-energy schemes. These include the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bio-Energy Capital Grants Scheme, which will part-fund the planned new biomass electricity plant at Lockerbie. Grant offers are also being made by Forestry Commission Scotland under the Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme to help develop the supply chain required to harvest, store, process and supply biomass to energy end users.

Gaelic

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that Gaelic-medium education is provided in Scotland’s cities.

Peter Peacock: The delivery of Gaelic-medium education in Scotland’s cities and throughout Scotland is a matter for local authorities and the Scottish Executive seeks to support and encourage authorities in this by providing guidance, funding, resources and support for teachers and pupils. In the last year there have been important initiatives to improve the supply of Gaelic teachers, to extend the Gaelic curriculum in secondary schools and to increase funding for Gaelic education in schools.

Gaelic

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its funding commitment for the Gaelic Medium Secondary School in Woodside, Glasgow, in light of new cost figures taking construction industry inflation into account.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has provided significant funding to the City of Glasgow to support the development of Scotland’s first all-through Gaelic school. In May 2004, the City of Glasgow was offered £2.75 million towards their estimated costs of £3.5 million for the renovation of the Woodside school for the Gaelic school. The council has also received Gaelic specific grant funding in 2005-06. The Glasgow Gaelic school is expected to open in August 2006 and in view of the good progress being made the Scottish Executive does not intend to review its funding commitment to this project. The Executive is fully committed to ensuring this project is a success and will continue to work with the council to bring this about.

Higher Education

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response will be to the consultation on Review of Distribution of Payments for Higher Education Student Support.

Nicol Stephen: I am pleased to announce our intention that higher education students ordinarily resident in Scotland and studying in Scotland will be paid on a monthly basis (with some frontloading of support) from academic year 2007-08 onwards. This is subject to my being satisfied that all the necessary IT requirements are in place and have been fully tested.

  The Executive’s response to the consultation report will be published on our website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent immediately and sent to interested stakeholders. Copies will also be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38434).

Hospitals

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints were made against each NHS board in each year since 1997 and how many related to (a) clinical negligence, (b) waiting times, (c) tidiness/repair of hospital facilities, (d) staff and (e) other matters.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on the issues raised in written complaints to NHSScotland is available at: http://www.isdscotland.org/complaints .

  Following a review of the operation of the NHS Complaints Procedure carried out with the full involvement of patients and NHS staff, a new simpler, easier to understand procedure, which provides earlier access to the independent review of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, was introduced on 1 April 2005.

  The emphasis of the new procedure is on listening to the comments and concerns the patients as they arise and dealing with them quickly and effectively. Can I Help You?, the guidance on the new procedure, can be found at: http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/publications/me/complaints/docs/1guidance010405.pdf.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that its proposals for a single survey and a purchaser information pack are both compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Malcolm Chisholm: Yes.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how tenants’ right to buy their homes has helped to tackle poverty and deliver social inclusion.

Malcolm Chisholm: Buying a home, whether through the right to buy or by another means, can afford a number of benefits to buyers. In recent years, many buyers have profited from home ownership, due to house price rises, which have allowed personal wealth to increase for many. Those in poverty, however, may be unable to buy their home through the right to buy, because they are required to raise the remainder of the purchase price themselves, whether by using savings or through a mortgage.

  The Executive recognises that renting is just as valid a choice of tenure as home ownership. That is why over 16,500 homes for affordable rent are being provided over this and the next two years, as part of the Executive’s £1.2 billion investment in affordable housing.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence base is available to identify and monitor trends in right-to-buy resale levels in each local authority.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive does not maintain regular statistics on right to buy resale levels in each local authority. As part of their local housing strategies councils, through their local housing systems analyses, can assess the importance of different aspects of housing supply in meeting identified needs and may monitor and review the impact of right to buy resales as part of this.

  In 1995 the Scottish Executive commissioned research into a sample of right to buy resales, which looked at issues such as the rate of resales, who purchased them and resale prices. The results of the research were published in 1997 (Pawson, H., Watkins, C. & Morgan, J. (1997) Right to Buy Resales in Scotland).

Justice

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what sentencing guidance the Lord Advocate has issued to sheriffs and judges in the last year.

Elish Angiolini QC: Sentencing is a matter for the court and, subject to the powers of the particular court and any statutory limitations in respect of particular charges, it is solely within the discretion of the presiding judge. It is not a matter for the Lord Advocate, the head of the prosecution service, to issue guidance on sentencing.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20890 by Cathy Jamieson on 7 December 2005, why it considers that the disagreement referred to has no implications for any current or future court cases where fingerprint evidence is used.

Cathy Jamieson: The case in question arises from an opinion published in 2005 about a criminal case concluded in 1999. Since then more than 2,000 identifications made by officers in Glasgow have been verified by experts from the Metropolitan Police Service and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. In addition, fingerprint officers now have annual competency tests and are subject to a Continuous Professional Development Programme. The processes used are subject to internal quality assurance and to external independent audit under the ISO 9001:2000 Certificate to which the Scottish Fingerprint Service is accredited.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20890 by Cathy Jamieson on 7 December 2005, who is responsible for co-ordinating the external independent audit of the annual competency tests and continuous professional development programme that Scottish fingerprint officers must undertake and how frequently this audit takes place.

Cathy Jamieson: The Quality Assurance and Training Officers in each bureau of the Scottish Fingerprint Service co-ordinate the annual competency testing of the experts within their bureau. The competency tests are set and the results evaluated by an independent forensic testing company, Collaborative Testing Service, of the USA.

  The Continuous Professional Development programme for experts within the Scottish Fingerprint Service is managed by the SFS Training Manager in collaboration with the Quality Assurance and Training Officers in each bureau.

Land

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19463 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 October 2005, what funding has been allocated to Perth and Kinross Council from (a) the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund and (b) capital resources made available to carry out identification and remediation of contaminated land; whether Perth and Kinross Council was one of the 19 local authorities allocated end-year flexibility funding in December 2004 for specific derelict and contaminated land projects and, if so, how much it received.

Malcolm Chisholm: No resources have been allocated to Perth and Kinross Council from the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund. The capital resources made available to Perth and Kinross Council for carrying out its responsibilities under the contaminated land regime over the years 2000-01 to 2007-08 are as follows:

  

Year
Amount
(£000)


2000-01
22


2001-02
77


2002-03
77


2003-04
77


2004-05
77


2005-06
77


2006-07
77


2007-08
77



  In addition, the council received a further £261,000 of end-year flexibility funding in 2002-03 to carry out remediation work at the Horse Cross development area in Perth.

  Following a successful bid for resources from the end-year flexibility funding announced in 2004-05, the council was awarded £475,000 in December 2004 for remediation of the former Dalcrue Landfill Site at Pitcairngreen, Perth.

Lifelong Learning

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are obliged to publish annual reports on their services for adult literacy and numeracy and what action can be taken in the event of a local authority not publishing such reports.

Allan Wilson: There is no obligation on local authorities to publish annual reports on their services for adult literacy and numeracy.

Local Government

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for ensuring that local authorities comply with the obligations placed on them by Communities Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is as follows:

  
Operating on behalf of Scottish ministers, Communities Scotland engages with local authorities on a range of housing and community regeneration issues. The nature of this engagement includes: statutory regulation of local authority housing, homelessness and factoring functions; assisting local authorities with the production of relevant plans and strategies; assisting local authorities locally with the delivery of housing and community regeneration goals, and, the provision of funding streams to support investment in housing and community regeneration.


  Ensuring compliance with obligations that arise from this engagement falls to Communities Scotland.

NHS 24

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide comparative details of emergency admission rates to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary before and after the introduction of NHS 24.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS 24 integrated with NHS Dumfries and Galloway on 18 November 2003.

  The table shows information on emergency admissions for the years ending 31 October 2000-04.

  

NHS Board of Residence
Year Ending 31 October


2000
2001
2002
2003
2004P


Dumfries and Galloway
 
 
 
 
 


Emergency admissions
12,977
13,206
13,100
12,110
11,391


Crude Rate per 1,000 population
88.0
89.4
88.9
82.3
77.0


Standardised Discharge Ratio
89.4
89.1
88.1
82.1
76.4


Scotland
 
 
 
 
 


Emergency admissions
465,247
474,194
473,599
467,621
470,803


Crude Rate per 1,000 population
91.9
93.6
93.7
92.5
92.7


Standardised Discharge Ratio
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0



  PProvisional.

  Notes:

  1. Figures are provided for Dumfries and Galloway NHS board of residence rather than Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary to permit the calculation of crude/standardised admission rates using residence-based population estimates.

  2. Standardised discharge ratio (SDR) is an indirectly standardised rate (standardised for age and sex). The reference population, to which the Dumfries and Galloway rates are standardised, is the number of emergency admissions for Scottish residents in each of the years presented.

  3. Year ending 31 October is chosen as it provides the closest comparator to the introduction of NHS24 in NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

NHS Waiting Times

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients in each year since 1997 had their operations cancelled (a) twice, (b) three times, (c) four times and (d) more than four times, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The specific information requested is not available centrally.

  Limited information is available centrally on the number of in-patient/day case episodes where operations/procedures were not carried out following admission. Table 1 shows information on the number of in-patient and day case continuous spells in hospital where operations/procedures were cancelled following admission by NHS board of treatment, for calendar years 1997 to 2004. It is not possible to identify the type of operation that was cancelled therefore if a person had more than one cancelled operation it is not necessarily the same operation.

  Operations can be cancelled due to various unforeseen pressures. Some examples of these are; an influx of emergency admissions, widespread staff sickness, theatre equipment failure or infection in wards.

  On occasions, some patients may be sent home, following admission, when a planned procedure/operation has not been carried out. Some reasons for this include; patient being unfit for treatment due to illness (e.g. chest infection), having omitted to fast before admission, failing to follow pre-admission advice on medication, or where theatre time is unavailable due to unexpected complications arising in earlier theatre cases.

  In setting out an initial response to Professor David Kerr’s report Building A Health Service Fit For The Future, I made it clear that I supported his proposals that we should stream planned care, separating it, where possible, from emergency care. I have asked the Regional Planning Groups to develop arrangements for streaming planned care that will reduce cancellations, increase predictability and workflow and reduce waiting times.

  Table 1 - Cancelled Operations1,2,3,4

  

Health Board of Treatment
No. of Cancelled Operations Per Patient
Year of Discharge


1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


Scotland
2
320
485
525
606
528
484
588
552


3
26
43
50
63
52
35
84
84


4
4
12
8
18
14
18
36
38


5 and more
3
3
5
8
12
11
26
24


Argyll and Clyde
2
19
27
37
33
15
26
32
29


3
1
-
2
-
1
-
2
3


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Ayrshire and Arran
2
30
34
37
60
49
51
68
53


3
2
3
4
4
6
2
14
7


4
1
-
-
2
2
7
2
-


5 and more
-
-
-
1
5
5
-
-


Borders
2
-
-
5
1
1
2
-
4


3
-
-
-
1
-
1
-
1


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Dumfries and Galloway
2
7
16
25
36
23
24
16
15


3
1
-
2
2
-
-
1
2


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Fife
2
20
19
24
21
22
20
25
19


3
-
1
1
2
1
-
2
-


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
1


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Forth Valley
2
7
9
16
21
23
19
15
8


3
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
-


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Golden Jubilee
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1


3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Grampian
2
25
55
64
94
53
48
49
60


3
3
5
6
15
3
3
1
6


4
1
3
1
1
1
-
-
2


5 and more
-
1
1
1
-
-
-
1


Greater Glasgow
2
110
154
160
173
182
161
251
233


3
10
20
23
29
32
20
58
61


4
1
7
6
13
10
10
32
34


5 and more
3
2
4
6
7
6
25
23


Highland
2
1
11
15
12
21
18
16
11


3
-
-
2
-
1
2
1
1


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Lanarkshire
2
34
59
49
57
62
57
62
72


3
2
2
3
5
4
3
1
2


4
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
1


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Lothian
2
41
60
59
67
45
37
33
34


3
5
10
5
3
1
2
3
1


4
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-


Orkney
2
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-


3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Shetland
2
3
3
2
-
4
2
2
2


3
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Tayside
2
23
37
29
28
28
17
19
11


3
1
1
2
1
2
-
1
-


4
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Western Isles 
2
-
1
3
3
-
1
-
-


3
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-


4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5 and more
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-



  Notes

  1. These statistics are derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.

  2. Cases where the patient was not admitted to hospital are not included.

  3. Up to six diagnoses (one principal, five secondary) are recorded on SMR01 returns. All six diagnoses have been used to identify cancelled operations. The following code was used from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Other Health Related Problems, tenth revision (ICD10): Z53; Persons encountering health services for specific procedures, not carried out. However, it should be noted that the use of this code may vary from hospital to hospital.

  4. Number of cancelled operations was calculated by accumulating the number of spells in hospital in a calendar year where there was a Z53 diagnosis.

  5. Complete data for 2005 are not yet available.

National Health Service

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will rule out contracting any services to Netcare, following the reports on Channel 4 News of 7 December 2005 in respect of inferior patient care leading to compromise of patient health.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive does not contract directly with independent health care providers. We are not aware that any boards in Scotland are currently engaged with this company. In any dealings with independent providers health boards would be required to satisfy their local clinical governance processes such that robust systems and processes are in place to ensure patient safety.

Nursing

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in raising the profile of the school nursing service.

Lewis Macdonald: The Framework for Nursing in Schools was launched in 2003. One of the main aims of this document was not only to set out the nursing service that should be delivered to children and young people but provide an opportunity to refocus and raise the profile of nurses working in schools.

  Nurses working in schools now participate in many of the new initiatives which are being developed to improve the health of children and young people in Scotland.

  In many cases nurses working in schools are very involved in all aspects of the development of New Community Schools, in some cases they are recognised as the key drivers for health issues. Nurses in schools are also at the forefront of the development of a school health profiling tool which will be a valuable and useful development allowing national comparisons, forward planning and evaluation.

  The Framework for Nursing in Schools also recommends that the education preparation for nurses working in schools should be changed and brought together with that of health visiting into a single discipline – Public Health Nursing. This ensures that nurses working in schools have the necessary education preparation to effectively fulfil their role and that they are equipped with the necessary skills to meet the changing needs of communities in partnership with other professionals.

Nursing

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution the school nursing service is making to taking forward the evaluation of Hungry for Success programmes.

Lewis Macdonald: Hungry for Success is evaluated and monitored on a number of different levels, as set out in the report of the Expert Panel on School Meals: www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/hfs-00.asp .

  This includes inspections by HM Inspectorate of Education Nutritional Associate Assessors as well as independent research and collection of data through the annual School Meals Survey. School nurses are not directly involved in the evaluation of Hungry for Success. However, Hungry for Success emphasises the importance of taking a whole school approach to healthy eating. School nurses take an active role at both an individual level and with multi-agency groups in promoting a healthy lifestyle for all children and young people.

Nursing

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what changes have been made to training and education courses for nurses working in the school community in the last five years.

Lewis Macdonald: In 2001 the Scottish Executive Health Department published Nursing for Health;  it recommended that a new discipline of public health nursing should be developed, bringing together health visiting and school nursing into a single discipline with a shared educational preparation and a common focus on addressing the health needs of identified communities.

  The educational element of the new model involved bringing together the Health Visiting Specialist Practitioner Qualification and School Nursing Specialist Practitioner Qualification under the title Public Health Nursing. The public health qualification recognises the vital role of school nurses and increases their career flexibility. The Public Health Nurse brings together the best of health visiting and school nursing into a single discipline providing a greater focus on addressing the health needs of Scotland’s communities.

  In addition, NHS Education for Scotland have developed a competency framework for nursing in schools which provides the baseline for the development of education and training throughout Scotland for the entire team.

Nursing

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the provision of school nurses in primary schools is adequate to deal with young people’s health issues.

Lewis Macdonald: The number of school nurses employed for Scottish schools is a matter for local health boards in partnership with local authorities.

  A Scottish Framework for Nursing in Schools, which was launched in March 2003, sets out in clear terms the nursing service that should be delivered to children and young people in Scottish schools. Whilst nurses already make a vital and valued contribution, the framework re-focuses this to ensure that the best use is made of their skills and expertise.

  School nurses work in partnership with a range of health and local authority colleagues to deliver a range of services for children and young people. Primary schools sit within wider local communities and as such appropriate services are in place. For example, health promotion workers and public health nurses are available to advise and support schools.

  Nurses in schools are also at the forefront of the development of a school health profiling tool which will be a valuable and useful development allowing national comparisons, forward planning and evaluation.

Oil and Gas Industry

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20095 by Allan Wilson on 7 November 2005, whether in its regular dialogue with Westminster ministers it has discussed any increase to the rate of Supplementary Corporation Tax.

Allan Wilson: I wrote to my Whitehall counterpart, regarding oil and gas taxation, in advance of the Chancellor’s statement. I consulted the industry in Scotland before doing so.

  Scottish ministers became aware of the changes to the rate of the Supplementary Corporation Tax, in the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget report speech on the 5 December 2005. This would be expected in the case of such a market sensitive announcement.

  Since the Chancellor’s announcement, we have continued to liaise with the Department of Trade and Industry to clarify details of the industry tax incentives referred to by the Chancellor in his speech.

Ophthalmic Services

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current review of NHS eye care services will include consideration of the NHS spectacle voucher scheme and, in particular, the fact that of the scheme does not meet the full cost of prescribed spectacles.

Lewis Macdonald: No. The current review of Eyecare Services in Scotland will not consider the NHS optical voucher scheme.

Planning

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish an analysis of comments received in response to the White Paper, Modernising the Planning System .

Malcolm Chisholm: When the white paper was issued in June, we undertook to publish an analysis report of comments received by 16 September. Some 358 comments were received and an analysis report has been prepared by an independent consultant. I am happy to announce the publication of the report today. The report can be viewed on the Scottish Executive website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent . Hard copies of the report (Bib. number 38273) will be available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre later this week.

Rail Network

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be spent on the upgrade and refurbishment of Waverley Station by (a) it, (b) Network Rail, (c) the City of Edinburgh Council and (d) any other source, broken down by specific project.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is fully funding the enhancement of capacity for more trains and improvements to station accessibility in the Waverley Station Phase 1 project. The cost of these works is estimated to be £150 million.

  Maintenance and renewal of the fabric of the existing station facilities at Waverley is the responsibility of Network Rail and they are already fully funded for these responsibilities. Network Rail are considering how best to enhance the appearance of Waverley Station to complement the enhancement works funded by the Scottish Executive.

Rail Network

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when each phase of the upgrade and refurbishment of Waverley Station will (a) begin and (b) be completed and how much it envisages each phase will cost.

Tavish Scott: The construction work for Phase 1 of the re-development of Waverley Station will commence in January 2006. The target date for completion of Phase 1 is November 2007. The Scottish Executive is fully funding Phase 1 of the redevelopment of Waverley Station at an estimated cost of £150 million.

Rail Services

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the journey time by rail between Edinburgh and Glasgow and what targets it has for such a reduction.

Tavish Scott: We are currently consulting on what our strategic priorities for rail should be, in preparation for producing rail strategy next summer. Reducing journey times may emerge as a conclusion of that work.

Regulation of Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recommend an increase in the Personal Expense Allowance.

Lewis Macdonald: The Personal Expenses Allowance for care home residents is normally increased in April each year. No decision has yet been taken on the April 2006 uprating.

Regulation of Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many care homes for elderly people met Care Commission standards relating to nutrition in each year since the commission was established.

Lewis Macdonald: This is an operational matter for the Care Commission, which is responsible for the regulation of care services in Scotland. The Care Commission regulates care services, including care homes, against the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, taking account of the National Care Standards, which are prepared and published by Scottish ministers.

  I have asked Jacquie Roberts, Chief Executive of the Care Commission, to respond to the member directly on this matter.

Regulation of Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to ensure that people in residential care homes for elderly people receive appropriate nursing care at the point where their condition deteriorates and nursing care is required.

Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities have a duty under Section 12A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to assess the needs of people. Older people needing care have their needs assessed under Single Shared Assessment. The resultant care plan and arrangements for its review should ensure re-assessment when there is a significant change. When nursing care is likely to be needed, the views of a medical practitioner are sought as part of the assessment.

  The Care Commission regulates and inspects care homes, whether or not nursing care is provided. A resident who is concerned about the quality of their care, or a relative or third party, may complain to the Care Commission. The commission has a duty to investigate all such complaints.

Roads

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it provides to local authorities to maintain local roads adequately.

Tavish Scott: Funding for roads is provided primarily through the local government finance settlement. The local roads maintenance provision for Scotland in 2005-06 totalled some £260 million.

  The roads provision for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is £360 million per annum. This represents a better than 23% increase on the 2004-05 allocation for roads maintenance. Additional provision of £60 million has been made available for 2006-07 and 2007-08 for improving local roads. This was in direct response to the COSLA bid during SR2004 which we met in full. We expect local authorities to therefore use this resource accordingly.

Roads

Mr Andrew Arbuckle (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on proposals to carry out major resurfacing works on the Broxden roundabout in February and March 2006.

Tavish Scott: BEAR Scotland Ltd has completed its study into road safety at Broxden roundabout and has recommended a number of proposals to improve road safety at this location. These improvements will be carried out as part of the second phase of maintenance works on the Perth Southern Bypass, currently programmed for spring 2006.

Roads

Mr Andrew Arbuckle (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to address any concerns of local police and others in respect of traffic management proposals in connection with resurfacing the Broxden roundabout.

Tavish Scott: To reduce the overall disruption to traffic the proposed road safety improvements at Broxden roundabout have been included within the second phase of maintenance works on the Perth Southern Bypass, currently programmed for spring 2006.

  A number of meetings have been held with BEAR Scotland Ltd, the police, Perth and Kinross Council and representatives of the local community to discuss the most effective method of working to minimise traffic disruption during the works. These meetings have established that the majority of works directly affecting the roundabout should be carried out during evening and overnight periods. Further meetings will be held in early 2006 to confirm the detailed traffic management arrangements.

School Meals

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have a policy of preparing school meals in-house so far as practicable.

Peter Peacock: The Executive does not hold detailed information about local authority policies on this issue. However, we know that practice varies widely between authorities and schools regarding cooking facilities in particular. Some authorities – such as Borders – are focussing their efforts on on-site cooking, whilst others – such as Clackmannanshire – are investing substantially in centralised cooking. The situation is further complicated by factors such as split-site schools sharing facilities.

  The emphasis of Hungry for Success is on the quality of the food prepared for pupils, and local authorities have discretion over the best way to achieve this in their areas. Where any problems resulted from the way in which food is prepared, whether on site or off site, these would be reported upon by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education.

School Meals

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities use local produce so far as it is available in the provision and preparation of school meals.

Peter Peacock: The Executive does not hold detailed information on the use of local produce by local authorities. However, a recent informal survey of Hungry for Success coordinators found that 60% of local authorities had sourced products locally, and a further 31% were considering this.

  In addition, a number of Scottish schools have been involved in the Food for Life initiative, which promotes the use of local and organic produce. One of the first schools in Scotland to become a Food for Life school was Hurlford Primary School in East Ayrshire, which recently won the Soil Association Food for Life School of the Year Award.

Scottish Executive Staff

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what change there has been in the number of civil service posts within the Executive since July 2004.

Mr Tom McCabe: There has been an overall reduction of 90 full-time equivalent (FTE) permanent staff in the Scottish Executive core departments between July 2004 (4,523.8 FTE staff) and December 2005 (4,433.8 FTE staff).

Skye Bridge

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive why an unsigned and undated draft of the Assignation Statement in 1991 relating to the Skye Crossing Toll Order was produced and whether this was in order to comply with a statutory requirement.

Tavish Scott: The Assignation Statement set out the then Secretary of State’s intentions with respect to the charging and collection of tolls at the Skye Bridge. It complied with the requirements of paragraph 14A of schedule 1 to the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and the Assignation Statement (Prescribed Information) Regulations 1991. There was no requirement for the Statement to be signed and dated.

Skye Bridge

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Assignation Statement produced in 1991 in relation to the Skye Crossing Toll Order identified the concessionaire company’s principal share-holders as at the date of commencement of tolling.

Tavish Scott: No. The Assignation Statement was made available for public inspection and notices to this effect were published on 23 October and 1 November 1991. Tolling did not commence until October 1995.

Skye Bridge

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive why a signed and dated Assignation Statement was not placed in the red tube handed to the Skye Bridge concessionaire by the Secretary of State for Scotland, describing the concessionaire as statutory tolling authority, at the opening ceremony of the Skye Bridge, instead of the civil works completion certificate which the tube did contain.

Tavish Scott: The document handed to the concessionaire by the then Secretary of State was the required Permit to Use the Skye Bridge crossing. There was no requirement to hand over the separate Assignation Statement as part of that ceremony.

Skye Bridge

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive why Crown Production 16, the Secretary of State for Scotland's consent memo in respect of Skye Bridge, was utilised for criminal prosecutions if the Secretary of State had properly made a statutory statement.

Colin Boyd QC: Crown Production 16 was a relevant document in establishing the legality of the tolling regime at the Skye Bridge. Accordingly, it was lodged as a production in prosecutions for non-payment of the Skye Bridge tolls.

Skye Bridge

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Assignation Statement in relation to the Skye Bridge Toll Order recognised the change of share ownership of the concessionaire company as made on 26 January 1992.

Tavish Scott: No. The Assignation Statement was made available for public inspection and notices to this effect were published on 23 October and 1 November 1991. This pre-dated the change in share ownership within the Skye Bridge concessionaire.

Teachers

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions apply to probationer teachers in Scotland who have been pursued their Postgraduate Certificate of Education at an English establishment and in what way these conditions differ from those applying to probationers whose postgraduate qualification was awarded by a Scottish establishment.

Peter Peacock: Probationer teachers who have graduated from Scottish higher education institutions, whose places have been publicly funded, are guaranteed the offer of a place on the teacher induction scheme. This comprises a one-year teaching contract with a Scottish local authority, a 70% teaching load with the remaining 30% of time available for professional development, and access to the services of an experienced teacher as a mentor/supporter. Probationer teachers who have trained outwith Scotland are not eligible for places on the teacher induction scheme. However, subject to having registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, they may apply to local authorities to teach on a supply/temporary contract basis.

Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with, and what representations it has made to, HM Treasury in relation to the proposed replacement of contributions under section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 with a planning gain supplement.

Malcolm Chisholm: Following publication of the Barker Review of Housing Supply in March 2004, which contained a recommendation for a planning gain supplement, Scottish Executive officials discussed the general principles with HM Treasury and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister officials. In the course of general discussions with UK ministers, I have reminded them of the need to consider the implications for devolved administrations when developing the detailed proposals. The First Minister repeated the importance of carefully considering the implications for Scotland when HM Treasury informed us, prior to the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report, that it would consult on detailed proposals for a planning gain supplement. We will therefore consider these proposals in depth before making any specific representations on the details themselves to HM Treasury.

  The consultation paper does not propose the replacement of contributions under section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. The paper indicates that the UK Government will act to scale back, but not remove, the scope of planning obligations under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which applies to England and Wales only. As planning is a devolved matter, it will be for Scottish ministers to decide whether to propose any change to the system of planning agreements, currently provided for under section 75 of Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers the proposed replacement of contributions under section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 with a planning gain supplement will have on the availability of affordable housing in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: As indicated in the answer to question S2W-21459 on 19 December 2005, we will consider the implications of the proposed planning gain supplement in depth before coming to any conclusions. The impact of such a measure on relevant policies, such as the provision of affordable housing, will depend on a number of issues, some of which are not specified in the consultation. These issues include the rate at which the supplement is set, the thresholds for exemption from the supplement, and the exact arrangements for allocation of the revenue raised. It also depends on the interaction of the proposed supplement with planning and housing policies more generally.

  As also detailed in the answer to S2W-21459, the consultation paper does not propose the replacement of contributions under section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Transport

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications plans to meet representatives of Edinburgh University Students’ Association to discuss Lothian Buses’ treatment of mature students in the pricing structure for its travel passes and, if so, when the meeting will be.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive provides help with travel costs for mature students under further and higher education funding. Student discounts for travel are commercial decisions made by travel operators. Accordingly, I have no plans for such a meeting.

Waste Management

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether waste is, or has been in any of the last three years, exported for landfill purposes and, if so, whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) volumes and (b) locations.

Ross Finnie: This information is not held centrally. Under the provisions of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 1994 waste may generally be exported only for recovery. Enforcement of these Regulations in Scotland is an operational matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Youth Organisations

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that national and local youth organisations and local authorities have the capacity and resources to provide training for volunteers and paid staff to take a more active role and enable them to provide real benefit to young people.

Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive is considering the issue of training for youth workers and volunteers in the context of the national Youth Work Strategy on which we will be engaged in consultation early next year.